ENCOUNTERS | Coactive Museums: Workshop on Decolonisation Practices — Focus on Ukraine

...and how do imperial and colonial frameworks continue to shape the way Ukrainian history, culture and identity are understood and presented?

As part of ENCOUNTERS, DutchCulture’s programme of events exploring international cultural collaboration, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Institute and the British Council qw organise a practical, participatory workshop on decolonisation practices, with a focus on Ukraine.

The workshop will be led by Larysa Bolton, co-Director of Kazky and an archives and heritage professional with more than 20 years of experience in the UK. Larysa has Ukrainian heritage and is actively involved with the Ukrainian community in the UK, with a particular interest in its cultural heritage.Through concrete examples and collective discussion, participants will explore how these questions emerge in professional practice. Topics include the mislabelling and misattribution of cultural objects, problematic terminology and classification systems, and questions of authorship, provenance and national identity.

The workshop offers a space for exchange and reflection across professional fields. Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences, discuss challenging cases and explore practical approaches to decolonisation that can be applied within their own institutions and areas of work. By bringing these perspectives together, the workshop aims to encourage critical reflection on how cultural heritage is interpreted and represented, and how cultural professionals can address inherited narratives in their everyday practice.